Former J&K Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti said Thursday that her party will support the National Conference in Friday’s Rajya Sabha polls, and expressed hope that in turn, it will receive support for its private member bills in the ongoing assembly session. However, Mufti has refused to support the NC for the fourth seat.
The PDP has three members in the J&K House.
“I had spoken to Farooq sahab (Abdullah) a few days back and yesterday [Wednesday], NC’s candidate Shammi Oberoi came to see me. They have given us assurance and we are putting our faith in his word. Omar sahab has also said that they will not obstruct any pro-people bill,” Mufti said.
She added that the PDP will support their candidate as “third preference” and emphasised that “although they (NC) don’t deserve it, our intent is that fascist and communal forces must be stopped at all costs.”
In return, the PDP has sought NC’s support for two key bills it will bring up in the current session — the proposed land rights bill, also dubbed the “anti-bulldozer” bill and the regularisation of daily wagers bill. “Daily wagers are working in almost all government departments and have been working for several years for very little remuneration. They need to be regularised and we are bringing a bill to that effect,” she said.
Despite reservations, Mufti expounded on her decision to support the NC stating that there is a bigger goal at the moment, “to safeguard the rights of the people of J&K and the INDIA alliance is also fighting a bigger battle, therefore we have decided to cast our vote in their favour.”
She, however, pointed out that the party will not extend its support for the fourth seat, “because when they lose that seat, they will place the blame on the PDP”.
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The NC had offered the fourth RS seat to Congress but the Congress backed out of contesting that because numbers did not seem favourable to a win for the party.
The NC has 42 MLAs in the 90 member house and is supported by six Congress members along with four independents and the lone CPIM member, Tarigami. The BJP has 28 legislators in the house while the PDP has three. Sajad Lone has announced his decision to abstain from the RS polls after chief minister Omar Abdullah said that the voting for RS seats will show “who is pro and who is anti BJP.”
Voting for the RS polls will take place on Friday. NC has fielded senior party leaders Chowdhary Mohammad Ramzan, Sajad Kitchloo, NC treasurer Shammi Oberoi and party spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar for the four Rajya Sabha seats.
